


Illusion

by marcieu



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Marauders' Era, Slow Burn, The Marauder's Map
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-10
Updated: 2018-07-31
Packaged: 2019-04-20 23:32:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14271945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marcieu/pseuds/marcieu
Summary: After a rash introduction after your exams, you manage to capture the infatuating attention of the infamous Sirius Black.





	1. Prelude

**Author's Note:**

> Hopefully this is good.

   

     The sound of moving quills on parchment echoed throughout the grand hall. Your eyes moved slowly as you reread your finished work. The time limit for the exam was about to run out and you had just re-read your parchment for the fifth time. "Quills down." Shouted professor McGonagall. Your stomach lurched as you felt the parchment leave your fingers. A feeling of unsteadiness twinged inside your stomach as you watched waves of parchment soar into McGonagall's arms. A shaky breath left your lips as you rose to your full height. Several students had already escaped from the room, most likely to go to study for their next exam. The rest of the students stayed to chat with their friends. "It wasn't that hard." A small Hufflepuff girl squeaked from behind you. "Easy for you to say." Her friend replied lowly. Your eyes scanned along the rows of students who were slowly exiting the Grand Hall. A small sigh provided you with comfort as you finally finished the last of your exams. "He's so handsome." A Gryffindor girl cooed as she stared to the right of her friend. Your eyes slowly looked in the direction to where her gaze was pointed and landed on a boy with shiny black hair that fell just above his shoulders.

    That black-haired boy and his friends were quite infamous around the school. Mostly for pulling horrid pranks but as for Sirius. You'd think he was the worst, he was quite famous for his  _ 'bad boy’  _ attitude. Then there was James, you didn't know much about him other than the fact that he enjoys carrying around that golden snitch he caught. Remus is a Gryffindor prefect and you didn't know much about Peter. Well, actually you knew he was probably the only one who was still impressed by Potter's golden snitch, not that it matters. "Don't go sniffing for boys like him." The Gryffindor girl's friend hissed in response.  "Move along students!" Professor Slughorn shouted as he made a straight beeline for the exit. You grunted in response as you watched him stop to chat with a bunch Slug Club students. Slughorn in your opinion was a rather bothersome teacher. Mostly because of his openness with who his favorite students were. He only chose students who had relatives that became successful or were extremely talented to be in his club. 

    Multiple heavy footsteps thundered throughout the grand hall, it had taken forever to push past the massive hoards of students but you had finally managed to make it to the courtyard. Upon entering, your eyes scanned around the groups of people and landed briefly on the back of Sirius's head. There was no doubt that he wasn't handsome, the only flaw about him was his strong mischievous streak. Regardless of that, you doubt he would ever make the time for a girlfriend, not that you minded. He mostly ignored the girls who fawn and chase after him. But that  _ 'bad boy’  _ attitude was the one thing that drove most girls after him. 

_ "Hey, you git! Did'ya hear me?" _

    A voice familiar pulled you from your thoughts and you turned your head to meet the familiar face of your friend, Stebbins. "Sorry," You grunted as you turned to face your tall Hufflepuff friend. "Don't tell me you fancy that Black? Do you?" Stebbins asked with a heavy frown tugging at his lips. You waved your hand sluggishly as you dismissed the comment. "I don't fancy him in the slightest." You reply carried a hard tone with it. "Well then out with it," Stebbins snorted as he fiddled with his wand. "With what?" You asked bluntly. "With your excuse. Why were you staring?" Stebbins questioned as he smothered a laugh. You made a choking noise at his comment and swatted him hard on the shoulder. "Tone it down a bit your arse." You hissed as several Ravenclaws turned to stare. "I wasn't staring, I was just dozing off." You mumbled as you shoved your hand in your robe. Stebbins seemed to believe this completely and dropped the matter. "How did your O.W.L's go?" He asked as he ran a hand through his brown hair. "A bit difficult but I hope I did well." You mumbled as the two of you wandered underneath a tree. "I wouldn't be surprised if I failed." He said shamefully. “I refused to stop writing once the exam finished and Professor Flitwick admonished me for it.” Stebbins seemed entirely embarrassed by it. "I'm just glad it's over." You mumbled as you rolled your eyes at him. "Yes, bu-." Stebbins’s voice died away as a boy with greasy hair walked past. With his crooked nose in a book, Severus seemed lost in an entire world and was completely oblivious to the reality that surrounded him. You had no opinion on Severus but you knew he was in need of some shampoo. "I'd avoid that area if I were you, Snape." Stebbins warned as his eyes hovered over Potter's lot. Severus’s eyes flickered upwards and immediately heeded the warning. Not a second later, he returned back to his book. You sent a faint smile at Stebbins as you watched Severus walk away. "It's always interesting to watch them go at each other." A loud Ravenclaw girl said from a group near you. A deep frown pulled on the corners of your lips as you heard her. "Watching them pick on him is hardly interesting." You huffed loudly, wanting her to hear your challenge. Stebbins froze briefly as the Ravenclaw girl spun her head around and stared at you. You stared back firmly and gripped your wand tightly, almost daring her to say something back.   "Er...S-So when do we get our O.W.L scores back?" Stebbins asked as he moved to block your view of her, his face calm but his arms folded. “Not sure, suppose it'll be around the end of July." You said bitterly. The Ravenclaw girl turned around and the words were out of his mouth before you had a chance to speak. "What'd you do that for?" He hissed in a low tone before continuing. "Don't go trying to start things now." He barked as he watched you cautiously. “I know,” You seemed to be trying to sound reassuring, but even you could hear the blatant lie. Regardless, Stebbins seemed to be relieved at your words and you smiled bitterly. "But, I thought Ravenclaws were supposed to be sm-." A large gust of wind stopped you from finishing your words as you felt cold wind brush your legs. Your face turned a deep scarlet as the sudden gust of wind lifted the bottom of your skirt, exposing your lower half to everyone around. Loud howls from a nearby Slytherin group screamed through the air as your underwear flashed throughout the scene. Nearby Hufflepuffs, Gryffindors, and Ravenclaws looked on with mixed reactions of pity and amusement.

    Time felt slow as your eyes went from a flustered Stebbins to the laughing Ravenclaw girl from before. Throwing your hands downwards, you desperately tried to push your skirt back down. As you did this, your wand was lifted and carried away by the winds only to land a few feet away from your reach. Your eyebrows knitted together as you desperately tried to push your skirt down. Frustration built heavily in your chest as you searched for the castor of the jinx. Your eyes hardened as they stopped on notorious Sirius Black, who was victoriously holding his wand in the air as if it were some kind of trophy. Both him and James were turning red in laughter while Peter gave an awkward laugh. Remus remained shamefully quiet. Howls of laughter boomed throughout the area and it only added fuel to your anger. 

     The gust of wind increased and the mountains of laughter became louder. Stebbins seemed to be frozen in shock as he did nothing to help you A river of curses left your lips as you stared down at your wand that laid helplessly on the ground. You moaned in defeat as you gave up on the idea of trying to grab it, you needed to do something quickly. Your eyes darted towards the right and landed firmly on Stebbins wand, that was held loosely in his hand. As if mocking you the winds increased even more, causing locks of hair to tug at your face. You swallowed deeply as you removed one hand shakily from your skirt and snatched Stebbins's wand. "Finite Incantatem!" You screamed loudly over the powerful winds. The gusts of wind died down quickly along with Sirius's laughter. Anger radiated off of you as you raised the wand once more. "Furnunculus!" You shouted as the blast from the spell shot right from the tip of the wand. A look of confusion flashed on Peter's face before it turned pale with fright. The curse grazed Sirius briefly but proved effective. Large boils began to spring up from his right hand. Stebbins gave out a shocked yelp as he realized what you had just done. "Oi, don't hex people with my wa-." His sentence was cut short as a familiar voice ripped through the air.  "BLACK! MS.(L/N) GET OVER HERE THIS INSTANT!" The crowns of laughter stopped and hoards of people scrambled away from Professor McGonagall's approaching figure. Your stomach twisted as you moved away from Stebbins and towards Black. Your lips were pressed into a straight line as you stopped in front of McGonagall. Her face was colored a dark shade of red and she was shaking furiously. Her eyes darted from you to Sirius several times. "BLACK, GO SEE POMFREY THIS INSTANT. THE TWO OF YOU WILL EXPLAIN YOURSELF IN MY OFFICE AFTERWARDS!" She screamed, turning an even darker shade of red in the process. You nodded lightly, suppressing a smirk from your lips. The boils nearly consumed all of his right hand. 

     James and Sirius sent you a strange gaze as you strode past them, while Peter looked as if he were about to faint. As for Remus, he remained silent. You were almost through the doors before you remembered your wand. Not wanting to feel the shame of going back for it, you tighten your grip on the unfamiliar wand.  "Accio wand." You mumbled as you held up Stebbins's wand. Seconds later your own wand zoomed through the air and into your hands. "I'll have to give this back to Stebbins before I get to Gryffindor Tower." You murmured as you pushed his wand into a pocket of your robe. Professor McGonagall joined you shortly as she led you into her office. You didn't dare say a word as you followed her. Dread and anger piled into you as you began to let your thoughts run free. Because of him, Gryffindor could lose points. Not that there were many points to begin with thanks to their lot.

     A few hours passed before Sirius had entered. A small huff left his lips as he settled into the chair beside you. Silence hung in the air as you stared blankly at the door. McGonagall stepped out thirty minutes ago to do something that was out of your knowledge and you had no idea when she was going to return. A sigh left your lips as you moved your eyes back towards the front of the room; your eyes hovered on Sirius's right hand which was slightly pinkish. "Was there a specific reason as to why you decided to target an own member of your house?" You asked. You licked your lips and looked away towards where you could hear some footsteps passing by. Sirius mumbled something under his breath before he responded. "Well, it was mostly meant for Stebbins. Although I seemed to give him an awful fright." Sirius snorted as he slumped deeper into his chair. You stayed silent after he said that. "You're a smart girl. It was quite the surprise when you managed to snatch that wand and hex me."   He chuckled as he raised his pinkish hand briefly. "I'm sure if you were actually aiming for Stebbins, you wouldn't have missed." You retort. 

    Silence flooded the air once more. You shifted slightly as you tried to run a hand through your tangled locks. "You were quite the sight to see... I really liked your skirt." Sirius chuckled wittily. Your eyes narrowed as you shifted in your seat. "I'd love to use 'Langlock' on you right now." You grunted. "I'd fancy seeing you try." Sirius laughed as he turned in his seat. There was a long silence before Sirius spoke again. "I don't think I've ever  spoken to you before this." He words carried a sickeningly sweet tone. "I really don't want you to." You shot back, clenching your jaw. At that moment Sirius released a loud hearty chuckle. "I may have to start fancying you." He flirted. "I don't enjoy the idea of becoming one of your  _ 'fans’ _ ." You retorted, making sure to have a jab at his popularity amongst girls. Sirius didn’t get a second to respond before McGonagall emerged from the door. Her eyes were closed as she sat down and her lips were glued into a tight straight line. "Explain yourselves." She pushed out as she finally opened her eyes. Neither of you spoke for a moment. "I jinxed her and she hexed me." Sirius summarized. Aching frustration tightened your throat as he spoke. You knew Sirius must’ve had a good relationship with the Professor, especially with the lax way he spoke to her. 

    And you were right. McGonagall didn’t admonish him for it but rather just continued with her questions. "Why did you jinx Ms.(L/N) in the first place?" Sirius shrugged lightly and leaned back into his seat. A cold shiver went down your arm as you thought you saw a smirk on his face. You’d never have the guts to speak to the Professor like the way Sirius did. "And why did you hex him?" McGonagall asked bitterly, turning towards you. You stayed quiet for a few moments as you gathered your thoughts. "He used the Ventus jinx on me, Professor." You replied quietly, sinking deeper into your seat. You'd do anything to be in the grand hall right now. "And how did you manage to jinx him if he had the Ventus jinx on you." She asked continued. "I used Stebbin's wand." You mumbled, dropping your gaze onto your lap. She watched you for a moment before questioning you once more. "What jinx did you use?" She asked. "Furnunculus," Sirius answered blandly for you. You cringed and sunk further into your seat, wishing that it would swallow you whole. The Furnunculus jinx wasn't exactly a jinx that students should know or use on each other. 

    McGonagall's eyes moved from you and Sirius for a few moments. McGonagall exhaled and rubbed the inner corners of her eyes. She opened her mouth to say more but instead waved a hand and the door to her office swung open. "The two of you will be serving detentions with me tomorrow night. Be grateful I did not decide to deduct any points from Gryffindor." She said bitterly. The both of you nodded in agreement and rose to your full height. This was the last thing you wanted to do on a Saturday night. "You are excused." McGonagall said before the two of you scrambled out. The door swung shut as soon as you stepped out.

    You were the first to walk off. You didn't want anything to do with Sirius anymore so you'll be sure to steer clear of him after tomorrow. Sirius followed. "I don't suppose you'll let me walk you to the Grand Hall. I'm sure you wouldn't want to miss the feast." Sirius teased as he joined you by your side. "Then you are incorrect." You said, moving towards the direction of the Gryffindor tower. "Then I'll walk you. I'd like to proclaim  _ my deepest apologies _ for jinxing you like that." Sirius chuckled as he continued to follow you. After a beat of silence, he spoke again. "What can I do to make it up for a   _ beautiful _ girl like you." He continued wittily. His use of the word beautiful almost seemed like an insult and you desperately wanted to swat him hard over the head. "Leave." You said, anger laced within your tone. "I'm afraid I can't do that," Sirius smirked. "Then go find Potter." You mumbled. "And for what exactly?" Sirius chuckled. "No reason, I just want you to leave me be." You replied. "You wound me so." Sirius smiled as the two of you entered the common rooms. "One simple request." Sirius offered as he followed you towards the girls’ dormitory. You hesitated for a moment as you remembered Stebbins's wand. "Fine." You chewed your lip for a moment before plunging your hand into your cloak. Sirius seemed surprised by your acceptance. "Will I be able to fully trust you to complete this task." You asked clearly, you were still hesitant. Sirius's smile widened as he took a step closer to you. "Of course, I did promise to make it up to you." He joked. You sucked in a long breath before pulling out Stebbins wand. "Here. I took Stebbins's wand and I'd like you to return it for me." You said as you gently placed the wand in his hand. "The Hufflepuff?" Sirius asked. His tone pushed at your nerves but you nodded in confirmation. "Alright. Will you bid me a kiss farewell?" Sirius asked as he bent over slightly. "Don't press your luck." You scoffed back as you turned away. Sirius laughed loudly as you stormed up the stairs. 

     As you neared the top of the stairs, the anger and embarrassment from earlier burned your skin and the scene from earlier today replayed over and over in your mind. The massive groups of laughter haunted you along with the flustered look from Stebbins. "He was easily capable of assisting me yet he stood there gawking." You whispered lightly as you roughly pulled your cloak off. Only a handful of the beds were filled as you wandered towards yours. You were surprised, but it was expected. Most of the girls were so exhausted from exams and O.W.Ls that they’d much more preferred sleep for dinner. You threw your wand and cloak onto the bed before laying down and stretching. You squeezed your lips together. Maybe it would have been a better idea to drop off the wand yourself, especially since Sirius had been just trying to prank Stebbins. You exhaled and rubbed at your eyes. Picturing Stebbins round but stern face, you squeezed your eyes shut. Stebbins wouldn’t take the news about who the prank was meant for easily. Stebbins and his sanity would be safer if you kept on mute about that detail. 

     A nearby first-year stumbled loudly up the stairs and tumbled over to her bed. You watched her until she disappeared under the warmth of her covers. Your attention drifted back towards a window and the forest beyond it. Your heart turned in your chest for what awaited tomorrow. Not once in the five years you had been at Hogwarts had you ever served a detention with Professor McGonagall. The only Professor you’d ever gotten detentions with was with Professor Slughorn. But detentions with him always fell flat as he was more concerned with the members of the Slug Club than with the ‘delinquents’ he got. But even so, Professor McGonagall wouldn’t be a lenient as Professor Slughorn.


	2. 2.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> your detention with sirius takes an uneventful turn

     Bright waves of sunlight poured into the room as you awoke with a start. You were  _ freezing _ cold, but some of the shivers came from all the nightmares you had from the worry. You sat up and looked around. Only yourself and a few other girls were left in bed, meaning the rest of the girls had gone down for breakfast and classes hadn’t started yet. A deep sigh brushed passed your lips as you pressed the palm of your hands into your eyes. Leaning back onto your pillow, you rolled over to face the window. Slivers of sunlight poured into the room in waves and so did the memories of yesterday. They still muddied your mind and plagued your dreams; it left an especially unpleasant flavor inside your mouth. You rubbed at your blurred eyes and groaned as your muscles protested. You tried to lie still and wait for sleep to reclaim you but you knew better than to try. Classes start at nine A.M sharp so you prayed you’d have enough time to dress and get breakfast. You counted the passing seconds as you watched the window and the forest beyond before getting up to get ready. Not long after, you were wandering down the stairs and into the Gryffindor common room. Dread flourished inside your stomach as you walked. The thought of spending a detention with Sirius was extremely unappealing to you. As your mind drifted over the topic of Sirius, you froze. You wondered if he had successfully completed his task. Now that you've had the chance to overthink it again, it really was a horrible thing to trust him with. The only way you could determine whether you made the right choice lied with Stebbins. "He’s going to give me an earful." You murmured as you climbed out of the portrait hole. A small chill fluttered down you back as the Fat Lady sent a hard glare at you for waking her.

     It was a quiet walk to the Great Hall. Your eyes darted over thousands of heads as you searched for Stebbins in the Hufflepuff tables. Your stomach growled in the process as you quickly gave up and made your way towards the Gryffindor tables. Sliding into a half-filled table, you shied away from the Slytherin table who shot various smart comments about your undergarments. You had only managed a single bite of toast before you felt someone behind you "Fancy meeting you here." A familiar voice called out. Turning your head slightly, your eyes met the familiar faces of Sirius and James. There was no longer any urgency to get breakfast. The unpleasant taste returned to your mouth as you watched James make a U-turn and follow after Lily, who looked like she wished she could be somewhere else. You quickly mimicked her actions. "I've lost my appetite." You lied as you rose to your full height, attempting to leave. "I'll walk with you." Sirius shot back. "That won't be necessary." You replied swiftly, wanting to abandon the conversation. "Don't you care to find out if I completed my promise yesterday?" Sirius asked tauntingly as he followed you outside the hall. "Not really." You replied. Stopping momentarily, Sirius fell behind but soon caught back up with a beaming expression. "I reckon you're avoiding me." Sirius grinned,  satisfied with his choice of words. "I'm not." You mumbled. "You are," Sirius replied, wanting you to engage in an argument. "Have you started fancying me?" Sirius continued shooting another question at you.

         Stopping in your steps, you grimaced and wrinkled up your nose. Did he plan on tirelessly following you around all day? "Don't be so sure of yourself,  _ Black _ ." You retorted.  His smirk deepened as he watched you. "Maybe you'd like to become a  _ Black _ yourself."  He taunted as he took a step closer to you. A dark eyebrow raised, and his stormy eyes narrowed. He was clearly amused with how frustrated he was making you. You held your ground as the space between you two grew smaller, you will not allow yourself to lose whatever point he was trying to make. "I'll never quite understand why girls fond over you." You said harshly, growing tired of his tactics. "Maybe because I'm too ridiculously good-looking." He said smugly. "You're certainly right about being ridiculous." You muttered smartly. Sirius let out a bark-like laugh before continuing. "I suppose this'll be quite a friendship." Sirius breathed out as he held eye contact with you.

         A sudden loud cough from behind you was enough for you to take a step away. Standing awkwardly behind you was a nervous looking Stebbins. "Where were you?" You asked, moving away from Sirius's still form. "I was still asleep." He replied shortly. He sent you and Sirius a confused look before opening his mouth again. "Let's go down to the Quidditch field before classes start," Stebbins muttered under his breath, pulling you along with him. 

     "Come off it!" Stebbins shouted once the two of you made it outside. Your insides burned as you let out a grunt. "What?" You mumbled weakly. "First you give him the pleasure of dropping off my wand and now you two are gazing into each other's eyes! I reckon I remember you saying you didn't fancy him in the slightest." He half-shouted. "I don't. He did me a favor in return for the jinx he put on me." You replied bitterly. "Since when did Potter's lot apologize for their jokes?" Stebbins continued. Moving gingerly, you weighed the decision of telling him the truth. “They just did,” you lied, not glancing up at him as you spoke. Stebbins stepped closer to you and lowered his voice, even though there was no way his words would carry to anyone else. “You’re a terrible liar and you know it.” You scoffed and moved forward. “It’s not a lie.” You parried. “It is,” He countered. “They don’t just go throwing around apologizes to just anyone,” His voice raised momentarily before continuing. “Do you think Bertram Aubrey got an apology?” He said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. You let out a frustrated sigh.  "The jinx was meant for you and it got me instead." You explained. Stebbins's face became blank briefly before continuing. "Why would-... T-That doesn't explain what I just saw earlier." He retorted, brushing off your comment. "It was an argument and it'll only be that." You groaned, becoming more irritated by the minute. "Oh please," Stebbins was now becoming frustrated as well. "If you think that'll-." His voice dropped away quickly as he stared to the right. Confusion sparked in you and followed his gaze to a pretty Hufflepuff girl who was talking with her friends. A smile pulled at the sides of your lips as you clapped him on the back proudly. "Fancy her?" You teased. Disregarding the former subject, Stebbins went a shade darker than usual. "Oh shut it." He breathed out, continuing your way towards the Quidditch field. “Her name’s Alie.” He muttered embarrassedly. You nudged him heartily and he let out a strained laugh. Once the two of you made it to the field, the both of you quickly found seats. "I'd still like to hear an explanation," Stebbins asked, his eyes following a random member of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team who was practicing drills. "I told you already." You groaned. Stebbins sent you an annoyed look before finally giving up and changing the subject. "I never got to ask about the punishment McGonagall gave you two yesterday." He said, half-heartedly dropping the subject. You groaned loudly in response and Stebbins scoffed. "She deduct any points from your house?" He asked. "No, but she gave us detention tonight. I just hope we don't end up with Filch." You grimaced. "What'dyou think she'll do to you?" Stebbins replied. "Something not too rash I suppose. She cooled off quite a bit when we were in her office." You muttered. A few minutes passed as the two of you watched before Stebbins spoke up again. “(Y/N),” Stebbins said, still watching the drills. You couldn’t see Stebbins’s expression, but you knew him well enough to recognize the tension in his shoulders. “What?” You asked. Even over the babble of the nearby students who were watching as well, you were able to hear Stebbins’s raising voice. “I’m sorry about yesterday.” He said. “Oh?” you said, shifting in your seat. “You mean when you stood there and gawked like an idiot instead of helping me?” Your voice raised as you remembered your anger from yesterday. “I’m sorry!” He cried out, throwing his hands up. “Nope.” you replied wittily. “No,” Stebbins said, finally turning to you. “It’s out of the question. You  _ have _ to accept.” Stebbins was saying, a hint of laughter hidden between his words. “I can’t believe you’d think I would forgive you so easily.” You said. “I can’t believe you would refuse.” Stebbins's voice was cool and sarcastic, the sharp, still-high voice of a younger boy. “It is such a small thing.” An irrational frustration began to grow in your chest. You knew he was trying to be apologetic but he didn’t seem to understand the embarrassment of it.

     “It’s not a  _ small thing _ .” The words came out harsher than you’d intended. Stebbins face tightened before his cleared his throat. “Sorry, sorry.” Stebbins said, his sarcastic tone now replaces with a sincere one. “But,” He nudged you softly with his leg. “I am sorry. And I’ll make sure to make it up to you the next time we go to Hogsmeade. I’ll buy you anything from Honeydukes.” Stebbins pressed himself against his seat. “Our friendship has great worth,” he said, while smiling. “Well, mine does, unlike yours.” You joked. “But, I accept your not-so-humble apology.” 

***  *  ***

    As the day rounded by, it was time for your last class of the day. At the moment, you were walking down the hall towards Potions class. About twenty steps behind you, a high pitched cluster of giggles pierced the air. By the sounds of it, you suspected they were following a familiar face. A sigh brushed past your lips as you tried to pick up your pace, it was too early into the day to be dealing with him. As you did so, another pair of footsteps began to loudly approach.

       Now several steps behind you, Sirius waltzed down the middle of the hall, taking a spot beside you. "Why if it isn't my dear new friend." Sirius murmured, placing an arm around your shoulder. Smothering a sigh, you tucked your books closer to your chest and shook off his arm. From behind you two, the nearby group of girls became shockingly quiet. You could never understand why, despite his looks, girls would flock to him. It's not like he'd ever give them the time of day, especially if they followed him around like that. "I look forward to our time together tonight," Sirius flirted. The grip on your books tightened in aggravation. From what you could tell, the detention with McGonagall didn’t faze him at all. But then again, you were sure that he’d already had his fair share of detentions with every teacher. "The feeling isn't mutual then." You shot back. Sirius laughed. “Of course." Sirius smiled as he watched you A beat of silence filled the air before Sirius spoke again. "I'll walk you to potions." He insisted chivalrously as he glanced at the copy of ‘ _ Advanced Potion-Making _ ’ you were holding. Your head shook swiftly as you denied his request. "I reckon I'll be just fine." You replied, quickening your pace. Sirius remained silent before gathering his composure. "Then you can walk me." He smirked. Your eyebrows knitted together as you let out an exasperated sigh. "Why aren't you with your lot of friends?" You asked. "Hm? Interested in me, now are we?" Sirius responded. You sighed, it turned into a light laugh much to Sirius' pleasure. Footsteps filled the silence between you two as you wandered in the direction of your last class of the day. "James is off fawning over Evans, and as much as I'd like to see how that goes, I'd much rather prefer to walk my new friend to class." Sirius informed you knowingly, allowing himself to slip his arm over your shoulder once again. Warmth radiated off him as he pulled you close, his scent drifted into your nose. You sighed fevoretly. 

    A loud choking noise ripped through the air and the hoard of girls from before began to whisper vigorously. Most likely about you. A groan fluttered from your lips as you reached up and peeled his arm from around you. You gave him no reply as you swiftly turned into the potions classroom and rushed to take your seat next to a small Ravenclaw boy. Slamming your books down onto the desk in frustration, you ripped your seat out from under the desk and dropped your body into the seat. The Ravenclaw boy next to you stared at you wearily before allowing himself to return back to his book. "I'll see you tonight then, (Y/N)!" Sirius shouted as he hovered near the doorway. For a moment, he stood in the doorway, surveying the class before Professor Slughorn tried to shush him off. You shrunk deeper into your seat as you felt various looks from other people in the room. He was unbearable to be around. Along shaky break rushed your lips as you denied Sirius a comment. Regardless, he was still satisfied with your frustration and disappeared from the doorway. 

***  *  ***

  The night had caught up with you, much to your dismay. Nearly all of the girls had gone to bed and you had about half an hour before you had to appear for your detention. In which you intended to spend that time studying in the common rooms.  "Merlin's beard," you hissed softly as you stopped reading your potions book. You were perched on one of the various seats inside the common room with your legs curled up beneath your body and robes. Your brows creased in frustration as you attempted to clear your mind. Your mind was swirling with scenarios of what might happen if the Professor assigned you to Filch. You shut your eyes. Serving detentions with Filch were bad enough by itself but serving one with Sirius was a different story. He'd be more likely to double the difficulty of the task. "You'll draw away everyone if you keep that frown on your face." You groaned inwardly as you heard the familiar tone taunt you. "We should get along before the professor fetches us herself," Sirius taunted and you looked up. It was your mistake to sit in the open of the common rooms. "You can go ahead." You replied, shaking your head a bit. Sirius laughed, causing some of his dark locks of hair to sway over his eyes. "I figured that would be the case..." He chuckled. A small silence followed after and he remained in the same spot. "What are you doing?" You asked. Turning your head upwards, his stormy grey eyes caught yours immediately, excitement sparkling in his eyes. "Waiting," He responded, a smile pulling at his lips in the process. You felt a flush of shame. Then felt angry for feeling ashamed. "Fine." You murmured as you rose to your full height. "Just don't pull me into any more of your pranks." You warned, dropping your book onto the where you had been sitting previously. Sirius stepped up so that he was toe to toe with you. "I can't make any promises." He argued, his lips forming a grin as he gestured towards the portrait hole.  

     "(L/N)! Black! Will you pay attention?" Professor McGonagall's irritated voice ripped you from your thoughts. You mumbled an apology as you pushed your gaze back to her. She sighed softly in return, paused for a moment, then said, "I'll be assigning you to Filch tonight." You felt your stomach fall through the floor, the single this you had hoped wouldn't happen had come true. "P-Professor couldn't we just stay with you?" You jittered out, hoping that she would change her mind. But before she could reply, the irascible Hogwarts caretaker came wheezing into the room. You hated to admit your small fear of him, he was always waging war on the students of Hogwarts. "Filth! Mess and muck everywhere! I've had enough of it," He hissed as he eyed both you and Sirius dangerously. It took him a moment to realize the Professor's presence before he tried to adjust himself. There were purple patches on his sunken veined cheeks, and his chest rose and fell rapidly; he had obviously run here. "Minerva." He said breathlessly as he dipped his head slightly. Your insides deflated rapidly as Mrs. Norris came trotting at his heels. You hated that cat. "These students will be serving detentions with you tonight." The professor replied. Filch's pale eyes raked Sirius's robes, a second later, a careful grin played onto his thin lips. "Alright," He took a step back and shuffled towards the door. Neither you or Sirius moved an inch as he did so. He stopped with his hand on the door and looked back. "Well come on!" He snapped. You sucked in a breath of air and followed him down the hall. Sirius did the same.

      Footsteps echoed off the hallway walls as you followed Filch. A disturbed feeling bubble inside you as tried to listen to Filch's mumbling, he seemed undecided on how he would punish us. Not only that but Sirius hadn't said a word since the two of you arrived at the professor's office. Something was up. You could only sigh to yourself as Filch finally turned a corner. He began to walk down an unfamiliar hallway. On one side of the hallway six windows spilled out moonlight, on each side of the windows loomed tall silver suits of armor. The stillness that held them made you suddenly feel very cold. "Faster!" Filch's voice cracked like a whip as he glared that you from the far end of the hallway. But you waited, watching the suits of armor a bit longer. They didn't move. 

   Wandering forward, you stopped behind Filch who had just furiously pulled the door open. Inside the room, hundreds of trophies littered the insides of many glass cases. You would have been amazed had it not been for the heavy layers of dust that coated them. "It's just a pity they let the old punishments die out...hang you by your wrists from the ceiling for a few days, I've got the chains still in my office, keep 'em well oiled in case they're ever needed..." Filch said as he gave an exasperated look around the room. "I wanted them spotless," He ordered as he turned his back towards the two of you. You thought it was an easy task up until Filch stopped you. "I'll be confiscating your wands for this task." He held out his repugnant hand and quickly snatched away your wand. Then was Sirius. Filch's pale eyes radiated hatred as he glared at Sirius. "Your wand." Once again he held out his hand. Sirius looked completely calm as he placed his wand into Filch's grasp. Not even a second later, he shoved them deep inside his robe. "I'll be back in an hour and I expect everything to be spotless." He snarled as he stopped in the doorway. "Mrs. Norris will let me know if anything happens," He waved his finger cautiously before disappearing down the hallway. Mrs. Norris followed after him. "She'll come back to check on us every so often." Sirius murmured as he walked further into the room.  

  About forty-five minutes passed and you hand only managed to dust five shelves. You sighed loudly as you looked over your shoulder. Sirius had done absolutely nothing. "What have you been doing?" you asked, perplexed as to why Sirius had left all the work for you. Sirius smirked under the moonlight that spilled into the room from the hallway and swiftly plunged his arm into his robe pocket to produce a chestnut colored wand. "I was wondering when you were finally gonna look at me, honestly I was hoping that you would throw yourself at me the minute Filch left," he said, twirling the wand in his hand. "You're quite keen on finishing his task." Sirius chuckled. You sighed, dropping the rag in the process. "Why didn't you just pull that out earlier?" You mumbled sorely as you glanced back down to the shelves. "I just wanted to see how long you could keep that up." Sirius offered with a cheeky grin. You rolled your eyes as you held back a retort. "Whose wand is that anyway?" You asked, dusting your uniform. "Peter's," Sirius responded. Your mind immediately flashed back to the plum and short Gryffindor boy who hung around them. "Well, then just do the spell before Filch's bloody cat co-." Your voice was quickly replaced with a loud displeasing hiss. Mrs. Norris had come back. Black’s wand arm rose, but you quickly seized him by the wrist, giving him a warning look. “If we hurt her, Filch will kill us.” You argued. That seemed to win him over as he lowered the wand to watch her dart into the depths of the school. "We’ve got a few minutes before Filch shows up. Let me just do the spell and I’ll hide the wand.“ He explained swiftly in which you nodded in agreement.

    Five long minutes had passed before a wheezing Filch ran into the room. Sucking in a deep breath, he scanned the two of you. "What- did - you - do?” He asked through long breaths. Sirius shrugged as he stepped closer to you. “We finished.” He responded, shifting slightly backward. “Finished?” Filch snarled, looking wildly around, eyes taking in the dustless cases. “T-Then why did Mrs. Norris come to fetch me?!” He shouted wildly, obviously disappointed that he couldn’t punish us any further. You winced at the volume, not having expected him to become so angry.  For a short few seconds, silence filled the room. Sirius was the first to break it. “We were snogging.” Sirius lied, obviously wanting to anger the caretaker even more. “Wha-” Overlapping your voice, Filch howled in anger. “S-snogging?!” Filch’s anger doubled along with yours. “Come!” Grabbing the both of you, he dragged you further into the school. You threw several angry glares in Sirius’s direction as Filch finally came to a halt. “Inside.” He thrusted the both of you inside and gripped the door. “Organize these while I fetch the Professor.” He growled. Your face tinted red at the thought of the McGonagall’s reaction.

    "Good one,“ You snapped, with awful sarcasm. A smile pulled at his lips as he laughed. "Well, what can I say?” Sirius asked. You clicked your tongue in irritation as you turned towards the old files. They were files recording punishments. You pursed your lips as you plucked the first file from a random box. Flipping the card over, you let your eyes scan the card quickly. James Potter and Sirius Black were written sloppily at the top of the file. You gave no effort to read the rest and skipped down to the reason why. You winced. The pair had apparently cast an unnamed hex (the pair probably used Engorgio Skullus) on poor Bertram Aubrey which caused his head to swell twice the normal size. You hadn’t been there to actually see the effect of the hex but you heard from others that it was quite horrendous.  

  "For heaven’s sake!“ said Professor McGonagall as she pushed open the door. You jumped up in surprise and shoved the file back into place. Filch followed behind her as he glowered at you and Sirius. McGonagall’s eyes raked down you and Sirius. She didn’t seem to believe what Filch had told her. "I want the both of you to return back to your dorms.” Filch’s face contorted with confusion as he threw his gaze at the professor. His mouth opened in protest to her decision but he may have decided that it was unwise and quickly closed his mouth. “Very well…” He muttered, cursing under his breath. A second later, he plunged his hand into his robe and hesitantly handed back your wands. Filch left slowly, most likely hoping that she would change her mind. Professor McGonagall waited until Filch left, then said, “(L/N)- a word, if you please.”  Assuming this had something to do with Sirius, you agreed. As you took a step forward, you felt Sirius’s grey eyes watch you just before he left.


	3. 3.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After an eventful morning, you accidentally manage to rope yourself into a strange agreement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so sorry for the lack of updates. thank you so much to everyone reading this and for those who leave kudos and comments.

    Your body felt cold all over. The entire night rushed by in a messy tangled blur. McGonagall spoke with you for only a few minutes. But by then the rush of the night had gotten to you and left you in a tired scramble. _“I do quite hope you learned your lesson and if I must remind you, anymore messing around will land you with a much less lenient punishment.”_ You shut your eyes momentarily as her warning flickered in your mind over and over. The look in her eyes behind her square glasses was still fresh in your mind. “Really wasn’t fair of her to scold you only, huh? But I suppose I’ve already gotten my fair share of scoldings.” Your head went up. “How did you-?” Sirius shook his head and smiled. “I just stood outside the door.” said Sirius, “at least try to use your head.” His answering smile was a reminder of your professor's warning.

     There was an awkward pause. You had no strength to give a response back. “You know, you’re a lot nicer when you're not being so snarky,” he added. “Pretty soon you’re gonna have to run out of sarcastic things to say.”  You retort. Sirius looked down at his wand. The runes carved into the wood nearly overlapped one another like petals on a flower. “Guess I’ll just have to test that theory on you,” he said. When you didn’t respond, he added, “I’ll walk with you back. I promise I won’t leave down here by your lonesome.” You made a choked noise, like a laugh that couldn’t quite make it out. “Oh, I don’t think I could become any lonelier without _you_ ,” you said, your words dripping with sarcasm. “Besides, me being by my lonesome should be the least of your problems.” Sirius blinked. “How can you be so sure?”  The two of you walked at a slow pace. “I just know.” You replied curtly, keeping your gaze straight ahead. “Debatable,” Sirius replied. You rolled your eyes. But the flat certainty in Sirius’s voice sent a chill up your spine. “You sound awfully sure. Shouldn’t you throw a sarcastic comment to throw in some balance?” You murmured and Sirius chuckled. “I could,” he hummed.

     The two of you fell into silence as you approached the portrait hole. Sirius quietly belted out the password and the Fat Lady awoke with a scowl and quickly opened up. You quickly climbed through. Moonlight seeped through the velvet curtains that sagged across the huge glass windows. The common room felt eerie without the ongoing laughter and chats between other Gryffindors. “(Y/N)?” Sirius emerged through the portrait hole. “Are you alright?” The moonlight created a strange but attractive contrast on his features. “Fine.” You responded. He reached his hand and patted your shoulder and you sucked in a breath in response. “For whatever it’s worth,” he said, squeezing your shoulder, “I was very impressed with your dusting skills.” You exhaled. “Thanks.” You said flatly, pushing his hand off. Sirius moved ahead of you and stepped further into the common room. “Merlin’s beard,” he muttered, looking around the empty room “it feels like it’s been years since I’ve seen this place so empty. Usually, there’ll be a few who stayed up late to cram.” You glanced around. The common room felt cold and dark without the familiar crackling that came from the fireplace. “It’s always like this after exams,” you tugged at your robe a bit as you spoke, “everyone has tired themselves out.” Sirius lifted his wand and muttered ‘Lumos’, and the tip of his wand flared to life. The white glow from his wand lit his face from beneath and picked out the shadows underneath his cheekbones. “So, I’ll see you tomorrow then.” You rolled your eyes and wandered forward, towards one the huge windows. You pushed your hand against the velvet curtain and immediately moonlight spilled in. Sirius followed in pursuit and stepped behind you. The glaring light from his wand gave back your own reflection. You hadn’t realized quite how disheveled you looked: your robe was streaked with dust and your hair snarled from the suddenness of Filch’s grip on you. You tried to smooth it down discreetly and caught Sirius’s grin from the reflection.

     You weighed a rude retort and decided it wasn’t worth bothering. He took the rest of moves and walked towards the boys' dormitory stairs. You could feel the tips of your ears pinkened from the embarrassment of being caught. “After what you’ve put me through today,” you bickered, “I think I’m done with our interactions.” Sirius gave out a bark-like laugh. “Whatever you say.” He chuckled, and the light from his wand began to dim. You stayed still as you listened to Sirius’s footsteps fade away as he went upstairs. A sigh rushed from your lips and you let your body relax. After a few moments, you turned and rushed across the room. You held your breath and you quietly made your way up the stairs and into the girls' dormitory. With no strength left to change out of your clothes, you crawled into the warmth of your bed and drifted off.

*** * ***

     “(Y/N)...” A voice began, a warning note in their voice, but they’d already reached up and yanked one of your blankets off. “(Y/N)!” The voice repeated your name louder and you flinched from the sudden breach of coldness. “What?” you hissed, sitting up. You rubbed the sleep from your eyes and glared at the source of the voice. Lily Evans, the girl with the emerald eyes and fiery red hair, stood over the edge of your bed. “Oh, come on.” She pulled your last blanket off and you flinched again. “Breakfast is almost over,” she moved away, “and you fell asleep on your wand, you could’ve broken it.” She raised your wand and waved it in emphasis. You sighed and stood up. “Why’d you wait so long to go down?” You asked while glancing around the room. The room was nearly empty except for yourself and Lily. “I have my reasons.” She said curtly before moving ahead of you. You suspected the reason was that she wanted to avoid James or perhaps she herself overslept too. A long silence filled the room as you scrambled to look more presentable. “I heard you did a detention with Sirius last night,” Lily asked, breaking the silence. You wanted so desperately to scrub your mind of last night. “I did,” you replied as you pulled off your robe, “with Filch and it was awful, to say the least.” Lily laughed. “As much as I’d like to hear about that, we should go down now.” You noticed the emphasis on ‘we’ and nodded. You felt groggy and gross from last night and made a note to self to bathe and wash your uniform. As the pair of you made your way into the common room, Lily stopped. Her emerald eyes scanned the common room before she stepped off the bottom step. She was probably checking for Potter’s lot. Several other Gryffindor’s were scattered around the common room. You almost stayed to watch them for a moment more but Lily had already made it through the portrait hole. You quickly followed behind. The walk to the Great hall was quiet and you had a desperate itch to fill that silence. “So,” you said stiffly, “what’s your thing with James?” You knew your choice of words were too bold and risky. Lily scoffed, sounding a little irritated. “James is nothing more than a common highly arrogant bully,” she muttered, and you winced, “and the same goes for Sirius.” You nodded and held up your hands. “Didn’t mean to touch a nerve.” Lily stayed quiet but replied back with a forgiving smile.

     As the two of you entered, you were stopped by a pair of hands. “(Y/N).” Stebbins pushed you back roughly and pulled you back into the hallway. Lily hesitated and stopped. “I’ll meet you there, just go ahead.” You called out as Stebbins dragged you further away. Lily nodded before retreating back into the Great Hall. “What are you so worked up for?” You asked, swatting his hands away from you. “Wha-what am I so worked up for?” His voice raised with every word. “It’s you who should be explaining things!” He shouted. You were beginning to become unnerved. “Stebbins,” You said, “what are you talking about?” He gave you an exasperated look. “Sirius and the rest of them.” he hissed. You tilted your head. “What?” You said. Stebbins sighed before speaking. “Sirius and his lot,” he moved away from you, “they…” he walked back towards you, “ _he_ only bullies and humiliates people he doesn’t like.” You only knew this to be half true. But you mostly believed that their distasteful pranks were quite diverse around the school.

     You scoffed and backed away. “You’re upset over this?” You said as you threw your hands up. “Stebbins they-” _“Oh when did you become so buddy-buddy with him?”_ The maliciousness in his voice made you want to swat him hard over the head. You took a long breath before stepping forward in more of a hostile manner. “I’m not _‘buddy-buddy’_ with anyone and it’s not like it was _my choice_ to serve a detention with him. Now would you calm down and get over this? It’s not like they’re going to come after you with their wands pointed at your throat.” Stebbins looked at you for a few seconds before backing off. He muttered a quiet apology and stalked down the hallway. You watched him disappear down the hall and into the courtyard before turning back into the Great Hall.

    Upon entering, your eyes landed on Lily. She was sat towards the far end of the Gryffindor table. You let your eyes scan along the table before regrettably making eye contact with Sirius. He looked at you for a moment, and then a half smile teased the corners of his mouth. Reaching up he made a gesture for you to come over. You ignored this and walked towards Lily. “I don’t remember seeing anyone so distraught.” She said, referring to Stebbins. You sat down beside her and reached for the closest food near you. “He was afraid Flitwick would retract his OWL score for what he did yesterday.” You lied. “Oh,” she said, sparing you a small glance, “I heard about that. He refused to stop writing, right?” She asked. You nodded. Before you could say more, you felt someone slam the table. From the other end of the table, James and Co. stood up. “What do you think they're doing?” A nearby first-year asked. “The usual.” Her friend responded boredly. Lily followed your gaze. She turned an annoyed face back to you. “I think I lost my appetite.” Lily stood up, clasping her hands onto you. You looked up at her somberly. “You’d better get going.” You said. Lily looked down at you. The prospect of dealing with James did not appeal to her. “You’ll be okay?” She said, and there was a sudden sharp edge of hesitance. “Of course.” You smiled. Lily smiled back before breaking off and walking away. Your eyes followed her along the edge of the Great Hall before she disappeared into the hallway.

   After a few more minutes you were finally satisfied with your meal and you stood up and exited the Great Hall. Sirius was the least of your troubles at the moment, and your mind paid closer attention towards Stubbins. The two of you met during your first year on the train. You had shared a train compartment for the first ride to Hogwarts and had also shared the disappointment of not being sorted into the same house. But regardless, your friendship still worked out.

     You made it outside. A small pathway cut through the grassy plain that rose through the courtyards. Your eyes quickly found Stebbins in the far right corner of the courtyard. He was with the pretty Hufflepuff girl from the other day. “Oh,” you said quietly to yourself. Your stomach dropped and your palms began to sweat as you approached the pair. Stebbins paid you no mind as he carried on the conversation with the Hufflepuff girl.  The girl looked as if she were partly Asian, with gentle, almond-shaped eyes, silky dark brown hair pulled back from her face, and an amiable expression. She wasn’t exactly striking, but she was pretty. You stopped in front of him and your stomach began to knot even more. “Stebbins, do you have a sec?” You asked, nervously flexing your fingers. The girl spoke first. “Is that her?” She asked as she fluttered her eyes over you. He nodded and sighed before excusing himself. Your heart sank and you felt suddenly felt anxious. “Are you still upset?” You asked in a small voice. “I don’t know.” He responded stubbornly. You made a few further attempts at conversation, but Stebbins remained stubbornly silent. You’d never done anything so bad before that an apology hadn’t softened Stebbins’s anger. But this time was different. In fact, you hadn’t done _anything_ for him to become so angry with you. “I don’t understand why you're so upset.” You finally said, a bitter tone laced within your words. Without looking at you, Stebbins raked both his hands back through his short hair. “There’s something I’d better tell you.” You tensed. All you’d wanted was for Stebbins to talk to you; now you didn’t want it anymore. “It’s all right-” Stebbins said, taking note of your tension. “Did you notice,” Stebbins said continuing, “that they never go after the friends of a friend.” You assumed he was talking about Potter and his friends. “I don’t think that’s true.” You said quietly, remembering the rumors you heard about a few days ago. They had humiliated Severus so badly that when Lily stepped in, he lashed out in embarrassment and called her a Mudblood. That incident occurred a day prior to your incident. But even so, you hadn’t seen Lily near Severus at all.

     Stebbins seemed to realize this and stopped. “I don’t think we should hang out as much,” Stebbins blurted out. You blinked. “Oh,” you said and you felt your chest tightened. “It’s just,” he blurted out, “I don’t want her to get the wrong idea.” Stebbins said as he made a small gesture towards the pretty Hufflepuff. You had a feeling that there was much more to that then the Hufflepuff girl. “No, it’s fine. I understand.” You lied, pulling him into a facade. “Good luck.” You said before walking off. You wanted to get out of there desperately. You suddenly felt very alone.

     As you strode across the field and away from your now former friend, you were stopped suddenly. The black-haired boy in front of you was striking. He was probably Sirius’s height, but seemed taller; he was thin, with hazelnut eyes and untidy hair. It was James Potter. You’d never seen him up this close. “Have I got something on my face?” He asked, moving his hands to his face. His fingers grazed over his glasses. They looked nice on his features. He had started wearing them earlier this year. You shook your head and quietly muttered an apology. As you moved to walk away, James stopped you once more. “Er...Have you seen Lily?” You stared at him again. That was another thing that had begun in his fifth year. His crush on Lily. “No, I haven’t.” You said, wanting to leave as soon as possible. Once more, you made an attempt to leave. “Oh,” James said, stopping you again for the third time, “You’ll have to forgive Sirius; he has the face of an angel and manners like Peeves.” James smiled. He held his hand out to you. “Last time I saw you, you hexed Sirius after he miscalculated his spell.” James laughed. A twinge of anger and annoyance flickered in your mind as memories of their cruel prank branded your mind. “Last time _we_ saw each other,” you ignored his hand, “ _I wasn’t_ laughing.” James’s eyebrows shot up. “You really can hold a grudge.” He said, sounding half-horrified and half-envious. “The last time I saw you, you probably wouldn’t even have considered this apology. But you are.” James said while smiling. You backed away. “Who said I’m accepting that apo-” “Things change. Now, I’m in a bit of a hurry. I’ll see you later.” James patted your shoulder and walked off.

     After your short conversation with James, you stalked back to the Gryffindor Tower. As you climbed through the portrait hole, you stopped at the sound of a familiar voice. “You’d better hurry and put that away before the Professor comes in here to check.” said a voice that sounded a lot like Remus Lupin. “ _That’s_ what you tell me? Don’t think I’d be careless enough to let this be seen.” Sirius bickered. They hadn’t seen to notice you yet. “You shouldn’t bait him,” Remus said, shooting Sirius a severe look. “You _know_ how muddied he gets around her.” Sirius, you couldn’t help but notice, was sitting very close to Remus, their shoulders touching, even though there was plenty room around them on the couch. They seemed to be looking down at something. “Did you ever think that he’d just give up?” Sirius said, and Peter laughed. They seemed to be looking at a piece of parchment. It looked very much like a map. But you’ve never seen a map like that. “Just because he-” Remus stopped as he noticed you. “What?” Sirius said as he ripped his eyes from the parchment. Sirius looked at you. Quietly and very slowly Sirius whispered something and sat up. You noticed that the map no longer looked like a map and looked more like a blank piece of parchment. Had you imagined the map?

     Sirius’s expression was cool, calm; his hand rested on the parchment. “Sit down,” he said, pointing his wand towards a nearby armchair. “Or did you plan to hover in the corner like a Hidebehind?” _Great. He’s cracking jokes._ You settled yourself uncomfortably in the chair. “What are you doing?” Remus said through tight lips. “She’s already seen it, what’s the point?” Sirius replied. Peter shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “Don’t you think James’ll be upset?” He murmured while avoiding eye contact. Remus grabbed the parchment from Sirius. “She _doesn’t know_ what it is though,” Remus said, the discomfort began to grow in his voice. “What is it?” You asked, tired of having no idea what anyone was talking about. Sirius looked at you. “It’s a map we created,” Sirius said, disregarding Remus's words. You stood up. “Okay,” you said, trying to make your escape, “that’s all I need to know.” Remus looked relieved. “You don’t want to know?” Sirius asked, curiosity picked at his words. “No, I don’t.” You replied, remembering what Lily had said earlier, in the hallway. “You mean- not because of me right?” Sirius asked suddenly. “I just, I don’t want to, not because of you, but because I just don’t want to.” You explained. There was a short silence before Remus answered. “It’s... a map,” Remus said, his voice full of hesitance. He swallowed deeply before continuing. “We…we created it with _a few simple_ spells.” Sirius scoffed as Remus said that. You quirked an eyebrow in confusion as Remus held up a completely blank piece of parchment. You were beginning to think they were playing a practical joke on you. “What _Loopy Lupin_ means,” Remus scowled as Sirius spoke. “We created the map using various charms and spells...like the Homonculous Charm.” Sirius smiled. You stayed quiet. The Homonculous Charm was an extremely difficult charm to perform. “So why are you telling me this?” you asked as you sat back down. “I’m telling you because-” Sirius broke off as Remus shushed him with a quick gesture. James had just emerged through the portrait hole. They all had the same guarded expression as if they’d just realized what they’d been doing: Telling secrets to a stranger without consulting every member of their close friend group. A complete stranger. Not an enemy of some sorts, precisely, but certainly someone they knew they couldn’t trust quite yet. James was the first to break the silence. Fixing his confused, dark gaze on the group before him, he said, “So- what’s going on?”

     “James!” Peter looked appalled. Peter looked as if he were about to melt into a puddle. James sighed and sat down. “I don’t see why you're all so jumpy.” James said.  “Anyways I already apologized for you,” James admitted, nudging Sirius a little. Sirius stiffened. “Did you now?” He said with a smile so disarming. You desperately wanted to get out of there. “Last time I remember, I already apologized to her.” he nudged you softly. Remus shrugged. “We’re gonna tell her about the map.” Peter cut in. “Why are you asking me?” James said, looking directly at Remus. “You don’t have to tell me anything.” You chimed in, raising your hands in emphasis. “Well, you’ve already heard the most of it. And you’ve been standing there for a while so you must’ve seen it. Or did I get that wrong?” Sirius cut in, patting the cushion beside him. You rolled your eyes. “You did get it wrong,” you said impatiently. “Just tell her,” Remus said irritably.

*** * ***

     By late afternoon Sirius, Remus and James explained everything. Well, nearly everything. You couldn’t help but feel like something was missing. James explained how himself, Sirius and Peter were able to perform human transfiguration in their fourth year. But Remus remained silent during that explanation. Both Sirius and James took turns showing you what they called ‘The Marauder’s Map’ and on explaining different stories about how they tracked around the school in order to map areas for it. By the end of the night, you were exhausted from listening to them but also grateful. They’d manage to rid your mind of what happened between you and Stebbins momentarily.

     “So, you got it?” Sirius asked. “It’s weird,” You said. “I have to say I never expected this from you guys. But I suppose it explains quite a lot.” As soon as you finished your sentence, James was on his feet, so fast that you didn’t even see him move. “Come to think of it, I have something I need to discuss with Sirius. In private.” He jerked his gaze towards the stairs leading to the boys' dormitory. “What now Jamesy?” Sirius said, in a tone that left you with the distinct feeling that the use of that nickname would probably end in some kind of playful violence. “Let’s talk,” James replied, his eyes glittering a challenge. The pair soon disappeared up the stairs and soon it was just yourself and Remus. Peter had long dozed off and was curled up uncomfortably in his seat. The two of you sat in silence and only the sound of crackling fire and the hushed conversations of nearby Gryffindors filled the room. You were the first to break the silence. “Uh, Remus?” You said quietly, in a hushed voice. Remus looked up at you and you immediately felt nervous. “I’m sorry for intruding on this. This isn’t really any of my business really, so I want to apologize.” You rushed your words. Remus blinked and a wave of cold went over you. Seeing him up so close really made you feel out of place. Actually, being near James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter made you feel insanely out of place. You were so used to seeing them from a safe distance. Remus shrugged. “I don’t mind.” His voice was gentle. “If I have to be completely honest,” he said, leaning back into his seat. “I’m not sure what drove Sirius to rope you into this but I trust him. James too.” You nodded. Before much more could be said, James and Sirius returned. “Come on.” James hustled Sirius back to where you and Remus were. Before James sat down, he walked across the floor and threw open the curtains near to the fireplace, spilling in a dim amount of moonlight. James turned back with a serious expression. “You need to promise,” James said, with a serious look on his face. “You can’t tell anyone about this map, alright?” James said. You nodded. “I promise.” You repeated. Sirius sat down beside you. “But you have to agree to something,” he said. “Agree to what exactly?” you said, now becoming worried. “Since you just agreed to promise to keep our secret, we will hold you to that agreement.” James chimed in. “Meaning?” You asked. “Meaning we’ll now have to keep a close eye on you to make sure,” Sirius said. You shook your head. “I don’t get it,” you spoke. “If you don’t want me to know anymore of _your secrets_ , then why keep _‘a close eye’_ on me?” Sirius and James stared at you. Both held a similar facial expression. “Just,” James fumbled for a choice of words. “Just know that we’ll be keeping a close eye on you.” he finished. You began to grow impatient. “What does that mean exactly?” You asked, a hint of annoyance stood behind your words. “It means,” Sirius said, moving closer to you. “That you’ll be seeing us a lot more now.” Sirius threw an arm over your shoulder and James quickly mimicked his action.

     You made a noise in the back of your throat that you hadn’t even realized you were capable of making. “Oh no, I’m not going to become part of this. I’m not doing this. It’s ridiculous.” You squawked, obviously dumbfounded with where you’ve landed yourself. “Then why’d you spy on us?” Sirius asked, enjoying your flustered state. “Because,” you said. “Because- No. I wasn’t _spying._ I just happened to walk in and…” you were beginning to run out of ways to explain yourself. Sirius had managed to bring you at a loss for words. “Oh, so you _just happened_ to walk in?” Sirius said, his words teasing you. “Yes,” you said frustrated, pushing both James and Sirius’s arms off you. “And it’s not like I knew about the map.” You said in a violently hushed tone. Sirius and James were silent for a moment. Peter breathed heavily through his nose as he continued to sleep. “I’m still not convinced. We’re sticking to our word.” James finished. You looked down at your hands for a long moment without answering. “Fine.” You said, defeated and Remus sent you a look full of pity. Before more could be said, you excused yourself and marched towards the girls' dormitory.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so a longer explanation for was absence and lack of updates is that because I haven't been entirely satisfied with this story. i wanted to improve my writing and i hope some of you notice the changes after reading this chapter compared to the previous ones. i've added quite a lot more dialogue for the reader and i've fixed the insane amount of plot holes. or tied to at least. i haven't quite gotten around to fixing my errors from the two previous chapters but i promise i'll get there. i'd like to thank you all for reading!


	4. 4.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summer passes by within the blink of an eye. The start of your sixth year is rocky upon the meeting of an old friend but smooths out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay, so I really need to go back and edit the past chapters. thank you readers for putting up with my mistakes and I hope you enjoy.

     Soon the days left for the school year lowered and your Summer had passed by in a daze. After shopping for your supply list, the new school year had begun and it was already September. Though the air was still warm, you felt awfully cold in your clothes. A cold sweat ran down the back of your neck like bullets. You looked up at the rapidly darkening sky. King’s Cross Station was now within sight and you began to pick up your pace. The train station was as packed as ever and upon entering, your eyes quickly found the platform. Platform 9 ¾ was in between platforms 9 and 10, bisected by an invisible barrier, new and old students alike seemed to vanish and flow through it like a river. A tumble of plain-clothed Ministry of Magic employee’s wandered around carefully, praying that they wouldn’t have to deal with the inconvenience of altering any Muggle memories.

     “Excited?” A nearby woman asked, noticing your gaze on the platform. A small girl huddled behind the woman, a heavy looking trunk that sat on top of a trolley cart was in between them. You hadn’t realized how long you were staring. Embarrassed, you answered the woman’s question. “Yes, I can never shake the feeling.” The woman peered at you more closely. “Surely this isn’t your first time here.” She said. “No, it’s not,” you said, smiling a bit. “I’m actually entering my sixth year.” The woman’s eyes widened a bit and she laughed. The two of you chatted for a few minutes before you excused yourself and rushed through the barrier. After getting past the hoard of amazed first-years, you were pushing your cart off down the platform in search of an empty seat. The first few carriages were packed and filled with students, some who were hanging out the window talking to their families, some fighting over seats. Your stomach twisted in knots are you searched for an empty compartment. Hoping to avoid seeing Stebbins, you took a more difficult way to search for a empty seat, ducking behind the rows of pillars that lined the sides of the train. It felt strange. Normally, Stebbins saved you space in a compartment towards the front of the train but this year was different. And yet strangely you seemed calm about it. No crying, no hysterics. You spent all day yesterday stressed over it. You were close to finding an empty compartment when you glanced up and saw, to your dreadful surprise, Stebbins standing across from the familiar Hufflepuff girl. As the two of you exchanged eye contact, you felt the little hope of avoiding him shrivel up. Stebbins face flushed a slow, dark red. You had a feeling he had worried just as much as you had about the seating situation. “(Y/N),” Stebbins said through the thick awkwardness. “How are you?” He added. Not a second later, Alie joined him at his side. Her eyes scanned you for a quick second and a smile spread across her face. You spoke before she could. “I should get going.” You said stiffly before pushing your cart away. Your owl glanced at you pitifully and you gently shushed him. “(Y/N)!” Stebbins voice called from behind you. You picked up your pace, ducking behind the hoards of students that lined the sides of the train. You kept your head down as you went. You hoped to avoid another interaction with Stebbins, you took the long way around the crowds, ducking behind pillars that were lined around the sides of the platform.

     Once you were satisfied with the distance between yourself and Stebbins, you stepped away from behind the pillars and back towards the side of the train. As you pressed through the crowd, you noticed you were nearing towards the end of the train. Your owl seemed to notice this as well and ruffled noisily in his cage. “I know,” You whispered softly. “(Y/N).” A voice called you from behind. You turned your head and your eyes landed on Remus’s familiar figure. “What’re you doing?” He asked. Had he been behind you this entire time? The cold sweat you had earlier began to flourish in your anxiousness. “Oh,” you turned more towards him in an attempt to allow him to hear you better, “I haven’t found a seat yet.” You admitted shamefully. Remus peered at you more closely. “You’re flushed,” he said. “How are you feeling?” He asked. Your neck was aching, and your legs burned from walking so much. “I’m fine,” you said. “Am I in your way?” You asked taking a step back. You wanted to pull the topic off from yourself. “It's alright. Actually, I’m right over there.” He said as he rose his hand and pointed towards a compartment at the end of the train. “Oh, I’ll just get out of your way the-” “Do you want to sit with us?” Remus asked, cutting you off. You hesitated before answering. “Don’t you think it’ll be a bit cramped with five people in there?” Remus smiled. “I’m sure we could squeeze you in, no problem.” You smiled back at Remus before allowing him to take the lead. You quickly followed after.

[ https://i.ytimg.com/vi/0DsHhIZAhIc/maxresdefault.jpg ](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/0DsHhIZAhIc/maxresdefault.jpg)

     You stood nervously behind Remus as he started to shove and heave his trunk towards the train door. You put your owl inside first before you began to heave your trunk towards the train door as well. Remus waited for you until your trunk was safely tucked away in the corner of the compartment. Remus sat down next to the window and you sat across from him. “Seems like we’re the first to get here.” He said as he peered through the window. You nodded back in response and the two of you made small talk. Peter joined soon after. Peter seemed flushed by your presence but seemed to relax a little after a few minutes passed. “James and Sirius are running late,” Peter said, shifting awkwardly in his seat. “As usual,” Remus answered, rapping his finger on top of the table. You smiled faintly at his remark. “Talking about me are we now?” James voice called as he slid the compartment door open. James eyes quirked in surprise as he spotted you. “Nice seeing you here.” James greeted. “Who’re you talking to?” Sirius called as he appeared behind James. Sirius’s eyes mimicked James as he spotted you as well. “I thought you didn’t want us to ‘keep a close eye’ on you?” Sirius asked tauntingly as he pushed past James. You shrunk in your seat as you held back a rude comment. “I couldn’t find a seat,” You said. “And I invited her.” Remus joined in. Sirius grinned. “Don’t be so literal, (Y/N). I’m happy to have you here.” James said jokingly as he plopped down beside Remus. Before any of the boys could move, a whistle sounded. “Hurry and sit down,” James said, staring at Sirius. Sirius sat down besides you. A leap of excitement pulled at your heart as the train began to move.

    Each of the boys took turns talking about what they did over the summer and you quietly listened. While they all caught up, the train quickly pulled you all out of London. Families and students waved their goodbyes and within minutes you were all speeding past empty fields. Fat droplets of rain quickly began to streak down the window. After a while, you tuned out the boy's conversation and watched the fields and lanes flick past. Around a half past twelve, the compartment door slid with a clatter and an aged but warm looking woman peered in. “Anything off the cart, dears?” Each of the boys selected different candies and you stubbornly settled for a few chocolate frogs. “Bit plain, aren’t you?” Sirius teased as you stared at your monotone selection of candies. His leg nudged yours gently and Sirius held out a handful of Bettie Bott’s Every Flavored Beans. “Try one,” Sirius challenged. Your stomach did a flip and you stared hesitantly down at the fistful of beans. “No peeking!” James called out tauntingly as he took notice of Sirius’s challenge. You sighed fevoretly before selecting a bean at random. Quickly and hesitantly, you plucked a random bean and looked down at it. Your stomach took a violent turn. The bean was white with yellow splotches. Or was it yellow with white splotches? Remus chuckled softly from across the table. “It's either Lemon or Rotten egg.” Peter called as he peered down at the back of the box. “Ugh,” You groaned in dread before plopping the colorful bean into your mouth. James and Sirius leaned forward as they searched your face for disgust. You chewed for a short few seconds and stopped, your expression stoic. James spoke first. “Well, what was it?” Not a beat after, your face flushed pink and you spat out the bean in your hand. James and Sirius both burst out in laughter and Remus hid a faint chuckle behind his hand. You coughed in disgust as the dreadful taste of Rotten egg ambushed your mouth. You choked on the taste for a few seconds more until Peter held out a plump hand. A single self-flossing mint sat in the center of his hand. “Aw come on Peter, you can’t take the fun out of it.” Sirius said as he tried to push his hand away. But before he could, you darted under Sirius’s grasp and stole the mint away. You quickly thanked Peter and plopped the mint in your mouth. Sirius laughed heartily in response.

    The taste cleared your mouth immediately and soon enough the mint melted away. Both James and Sirius took turns plopping beans in their mouths afterward. You held back bursts of laughter as each of the boys took turns spitting out the horrid tasting beans. Pulling your gaze from the two boys, you looked towards Remus. Similar to yourself, Remus had only chosen chocolate. “You’re not gonna eat them?” Remus asked as he swallowed down a bite of chocolate. “Ah, right.” You said, embarrassed. Reaching down towards the table, you swiftly plucked the Chocolate frog from its place. As you unwrapped your Chocolate frog, it jumped out quicker than you anticipated and straight into the area between Sirius’s shoulder and neck. Upon contact, Sirius let out a loud dog-like yelp of surprise. Before you could catch it, Sirius began jerking around violently in an attempt to shake the frog off. “Hold still!” You cried as you tried to help catch it. James, Peter and Remus both joined in laughter as you struggled to retrieve the Chocolate frog from Sirius. Unbeknownst to you, the frog had slipped down the back of Sirius’s shirt and Sirius shot up suddenly, which caused him to awkwardly fall atop the table. Now much more apparent, you now could clearly see the frog jerking figure from underneath the back of Sirius’s shirt. “Get-it-off.” Sirius said between gasps as he squirmed. Without thinking, you dove your hand underneath Sirius’s shirt and caught the frog. Sirius relaxed immediately and sank back down in his seat. The laughter continued and overlapped your stream of apologies as you held the still squirming frog. “It’s fine,” Sirius said finally. Although the look on his face when he said that only made you think he was plotting something. You decided against pushing on about it and turned back towards the table. The Chocolate frog squirmed wildly in your hand and you swiftly chipped a piece off in order to halt its movements. You decided against eating the sweet and gently placed it back on the table. Both Sirius, James, and Peter continued to eat the Every Flavored Beans until they ran out.  

     The countryside outside the window was becoming wilder. The neat fields now long gone, was now replaced by woods, twisting rivers and dark green hills. Rain still fell from the now completely dark sky. After hours of laughing and talking, Sirius, James, and Peter nodded off.  Only you and Remus were left awake but he himself seemed to be nodded off as well. The train should arrive at Hogwarts in an hour or so.

     You peered out the window. Despite the heavy rain, you could still see mountains and forests hurtle past. “If you don’t mind my saying so,” Remus said suddenly, leaning against the table. “You seemed a bit distressed earlier...” Remus leaned over the table. The nearby lamp gave a strange contrast on his face. Remus’s skin was very fair, as if he didn’t go out in the sun very much. You shrugged, surprised by his question. “You’re very observant.” You said, a hint to teasing behind your tone. You began to wonder if he had seen the awkward exchange between yourself and Stubbins. Remus stared at you, waiting for an answer. “I was just a bit tired,” you trailed off as you thought of an excuse, “from all the walking.” You quickly added. Remus didn't seem to fall for it. “If you don't mind me asking,” Remus seemed to struggle with his next choice of words, “but did something happen between you and your _friend_ ?” He was talking about Stebbins. “Oh,” Your face fell; his question had caught you off guard. “we'll I suppose I can just say that we drifted apart.” you lied. The familiar sting of your failed friendship soured your stomach, but you kept your smile in place. You watched Remus turn to look out the window and waited till his eyes were off you before you let your smile drop. “(Y/N),” Remus’s voice was shushed. “I want to apologize for not doing anything when they pulled that prank on you.” You were surprised. Now, in your personal opinion, you strongly disliked the fact that Remus barely put any brakes on the limits of his friends pranks. He _was_ a prefect after all. But it was different now, not that it excused his lack of actions. Remus had only shown you kindness since meeting him.

     Burning anger rose in your throat from the memory of the distasteful prank, but you swallowed it and pushed it back down where you kept it locked away. Anger wouldn't change what happened, and it certainly wouldn't help your newfound friendship with Remus. “Don't worry about it, I've had a whole summers time to forget anyways.” You smiled softly and Remus seemed relieved. About thirty minutes later, a loud whistle sounded and a voice followed soon after. “Thirty minutes, til arrival!” Both Sirius and James jerked awake, but Peter remained in a deep slumber. The crackle of lightning flashed across the dark sky and soon enough Hogwarts eased into view. No matter how many times you'd seen it, the view always managed to ignite excitement in you.

*******

     The minutes flew by in an instant and soon enough, the first day for classes were starting. You had already gotten your schedule this year and you desperately prayed that none of them would be shared with Stebbins. But that wasn't of importance to you at the moment, you were starting your sixth year at Hogwarts. The sixth year is the year when students advance to N.E.W.T-level classes. So they'll be quite a bit more difficult. You shut your eyes and drew in a breath. From all the rumors you've heard, the blissful hours of the free periods were nothing more than a complete and utter myth. The free periods that sixth years earned for meant to be used to keep up with the vast amount of homework you were being set. Also, from the bickering that you had heard from other Gryffindors, you had to study as though you had exams everyday. It was enough to make your hair grey. But regardless, you were still excited. This year you had elected to take part in Apparition lessons, meaning that traveling would become quite more efficient. The rest of your classes remained the same though: Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, Potions, and Transfiguration. You had opted to take the Alchemy course but the demand wasn't high enough.

     “Nervous?” A familiar voice called over. You looked over towards the source. Already dressed and sitting against her bed, Lily Evans stared back at you. You smiled and sat up. A small amount of light spilled through the curtains, but it wasn't enough to dispel the dimness of the room. “Very.” The two of you chatted about your summer and other things as you got ready and left for breakfast. You had found out that you and Lily shared Potions and Herbology. “Lily!” A familiar voice called out, creating a stop in your conversation. Lily's features stiffened as James caught up with you. He sent you an acknowledging smile before glancing back at Lily. “Can I walk with you?” His voice carried a nervousness with it. “No,” Lily said as she started forward. There was no kindness in her voice, not even false kindness. “You'd be surprised with how stubborn I am.” James said as he followed after. Lily said nothing. You tried to match her pace but the awkwardness in the air made in nearly impossible. “Being back in the Gryffindor tower was nice,” James said, struggling for words. “It's quite peaceful at night down there, isn't it? I do find that a peaceful atmosphere can help with studying- don't you?” James continued. You felt bad for him and was beginning to feel secondhand embarrassment from it. Though Lily herself had told you that James was a terrible person, it turned out not to be entirely true. Despite his and Sirius’s prank on you, you had grown to somewhat like James. “It does help,” you murmured in an attempt to help James’s pitiful conversation topic. Lily side eyed you quickly but kept walking. “Sure.” She replied, only looking at you. Glancing back at James, you expected a defeated look but it was nearly the opposite. He seemed ecstatic.

     Slower than you hoped for, the three of you finally made it to the Grand Hall. But arriving at the same time was also the person you dreaded meeting. In an almost annoyingly matter he seemed to pick up his pace. Lily and James entered first but Stebbins beat you to it. A pulse throbbed in your throat as Lily failed to notice your disappearance. Stebbins moved awkwardly from one foot to the other. “How are you?” He asked. He ran his palm over his face. “II'mokay,” you replied. Stebbins cleared his throat, he seemed desperate to say something. Like the time before, Alie had appeared suddenly from around the corner. She smiled brightly at the two of yyouand greeted you first. “We missed you yesterday,” her voice was soft. You almost felt bad for avoiding her yesterday. “Oh, yes. Sorry about that.” You could feel your blood rush to your ears as your embarrassment from this molded against your heart. “I hope we have some class-” An owl screeched from inside the Grand Hall and broke her sentence. For a moment, that was all you could hear. Then a floorboard creaked from behind you. “(Y/N),” Sirius’s voice thrummed against your ear and you felt his hand land on your shoulder. You almost swatted it away until you saw Peter and Remus appear behind him. You were grateful for their untimely appearance. “We’ll be going now.” Sirius said again as he pushing you through the doors of the Grand Hall. Alie gave you a confused wave goodbye. Upon entering the Grand Hall, you noticed the Gryffindor table nearly filled to the brim. You spotted Lily almost immediately just by her hair. She was sat at the far right of the table, chatting with other Gryffindors. James was sat towards the opposite end, the ecstatic look still on his face. You moved to sit with Lily but Sirius was a step ahead of you and steered you back towards the left.

     Pushing you down into the seat, Sirius sat down to the right if you, while Remus sat to the left and Peter sat beside James. As Peter lowered himself down beside James, he flinched impossibly hard as James jerked forward. His hands immediately went to grasp yours and he thanked you happily. Apparently this was the first time Lily had replied to him. Without a trace if hesitation, Sirius spoke: “Jamesy’s really got it hard, hasn't he?” his elbow nudged you softly and you let out a exasperated laugh. The five of you chatted and exchanged schedules. You shared Charms and Defense Against the Dark Arts with Sirius and James, Potions with Remus, Herbology with Peter and miraculously the five of you were in the same Transfiguration class.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading!


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